Please Help Me, I Am A Moron...

[Funkthulhu]

Greetings!

Over a year ago now I recieved a care package from Costa Rica (?) when I replied to a pay-it-forward freebie post.

In that package were many seeds including one batch labeled Bactris hondurensis. I did some looking about on here and other sites and the seed do match the pictures; I'm pretty sure they are labeled correctly.

Of the batch I recieved only a few finally germinated (after months and months) and now I have four three living seedlings. they are very very tiny with itty bitty spines. I don't know what I'm doing wrong as all my other species sprouted from seed seem to be doing okay so far (or growing like weeds), but these guys just give up on a whim.

Can any of you give me some generalized advice for keeping seedlings alive? Better yet, have any of you had personal experience growing B.hondurensis from seed?

Currently they are getting misted every other day or so and are never allowed below 65 degrees, under grow lights. In the next month or so I may be able to move them into some direct window sunlight, but I dare not take their containers outside until at least June for fear of a cold-snap.

I really have no experience with any finnicky palms (is this one finnicky?), do I fertilize? Is it too soon? Do they need to be warmer?

Please help me to kill my dumb.

-Erik

Omaha 5b

Edited March 29, 2013 by Funkthulhu

[Mark Heath]

I am not familiar w/ the palm that you are growing. But, you might be giving them too much water and causing "damping off".

Keep the potting medium damp but not saturated all the way through. Make sure there is moisture at the bottom of your pot/container but again not too much because some palms prefer a little less water.

I would use a fungicide to prevent any issues like daconil.

I hope someone w/ experience w/ this palm chimes in!

Good luck.

[sarasota alex]

I remember reading that a lot of those who went to the 2008 CR biennial brought back B. hondurensis seeds. Maybe they could chime in.

[Hammer]

Hey! The title of this thread is my line!!!

[Darold Petty]

Hi Eric, morons are not self-aware, and they do not exhibit the rational behavior of asking more experienced persons for advice.

I have been killing palm seedlings for many years, and my only observation for you is that the potting medium is almost always too wet. Are your plants troubled by gnats? This is a sure sign that the medium is too wet. True fungus pathogens are also favored by too moist conditions.

Some palm species are just much more difficult as seedlings. I have had great difficulty with Geonoma and Laccospadix seedlings.

[Moose]

I remember reading that a lot of those who went to the 2008 CR biennial brought back B. hondurensis seeds. Maybe they could chime in.

OK Erik - here is the skinny on the Bactris hondurensis. It is a rain forest palm growing on humus rich volcanic soil in habitat. And you are in Nebraska. Some plants are just difficult to duplicate the variables required to make them thrive. None of my seed even germinated from 2008, so you are doing better than I.

[Funkthulhu]

I feel I must now take the survivability of these few seedlings as my new challenge...

Humus rich volcanic soil, eh? I can do that (I think).

[palmislandRandy]

I am not familiar w/ the palm that you are growing. But, you might be giving them too much water and causing "damping off".

Keep the potting medium damp but not saturated all the way through. Make sure there is moisture at the bottom of your pot/container but again not too much because some palms prefer a little less water.

I would use a fungicide to prevent any issues like daconil.

I hope someone w/ experience w/ this palm chimes in!

Good luck.

How do use Daconil on seedlings. It was suggested to me before, but the stuff is so thick it seemed to smother the seedlings.